Garnet
by Candace Marie
Summary: This is Gisselle's story. The story of Peirre and Daphne Dumas, Ruby's twin.
1. Prologue

Garnet

Gisselle's Story

Prologue

If it wasn't for the lies of my sister, I would not be forced to write this. My holier than thou twin sister who succeeded at art would like to believe that everything was my fault. But that's not the truth. I'm going to write, even though I hate to write, I always hated school work, but I have to tell you how it really happened.

I grew up with lies and deceit spoon-fed into my mouth. We strived on lies and deceit. I grew up with thousands of friends, went on hundreds of dates with countless boys I couldn't even name. We lived in a huge mansion. I had closets full of clothes I would probably never wear. Our home was an ivory white mansion, a two story with tall columns, the tops of which were shaped like inverted bells decorated with leaves. There were two galleries, an enormous on before the main entrance and one above it. Each had a different decorative cast iron railing, the one at the bottom showing flowers, the one above it showing fruits. Sometimes I would stroll along the walk, circling the house and the grounds. I would look at the pools and tennis courts and it seemed like a different world than the hustle and bustle of New Orleans, and especially Storyville. The air smelled like bamboo and gardenias. Blooming azaleas, yellow and red roses, violets and lilies were everywhere in view. My home was fit for kings and queens, and I, I was a princess.

Daddy's love never wavered, but I always felt as if he were hiding something, a secret that wouldn't be revealed to me for sixteen years, and a secret that both mother and daddy knew. For sixteen years I would live in ignorance, but I don't believe that ignorance was bliss. No ignorance was a horrid thing. Deception and lies were told to me so much that I began to doubt what my real name was, or if I was as old as I thought I was. Mother was always jealous of me, but she loved me in her own way I guess. There seemed to always be some horrid secret about me, that they knew and I didn't. Mother once told me, "Gisselle, we all live on little lies and as you get older you will realize that Creole women tell their husband little lies. And it doesn't hurt anyone. What's the harm in a little lie if it keeps the peace?" she asked me. So from early on, I learned to lie just a little.


	2. Chapter 1: Cinderella Birthday

Chapter One

The Cinderella Birthday

On my eighth birthday, Daddy woke me up early in the morning. "Good morning, Sunshine," he said as I rubbed my eyes and blinked furiously as the sun streamed in my room.

"Daddy, what time is it?" I murmured bringing my fists to my eyes to wipe out the sleepers.

"Time for my princess to have the most wonderful day of her life," he said, tickling me until I giggled.

Daddy left and Mother came in picking out a pale green dress that was real fancy. It fit me perfectly and Mother brushed my red hair until it shone and then she fixed it in a bun leaving red ringlets around my face.

"You look beautiful, Gisselle," she said somewhat enviously.

"Really, and truly, Mother?"

"Don't ever doubt yourself, Gisselle. Haven't I always told you that? Expect compliments, you deserve them."

I smiled, as I put on tiny pale green patent leather shoes, buckling them up and grabbing a matching purse, I turned and stared at myself in the mirror. The pale green dress fit nice against my waist, and had lots of frilly laces, I was wearing white stockings and made such a pretty picture of green pastels. My ruby red hair was done professionally and my emerald green eyes seemed to glow.

When I got outside, Daddy took me by the elbow and I shrieked with joy when I saw the carriage and white horses. "Daddy, it's just like Cinderella. Promise it won't turn into a pumpkin?"

"Not unless you want it too, do you."

"No, silly," I said with a laugh, as I clapped my hands unaware of the pictures being snapped. Daddy, Mother, and I rode around New Orleans in the carriage, and everyone turned to look at me. Mother had given me some jewelry this year, and said I could wear it. It was this best birthday ever. I knew, I just knew that all my dreams would someday come true. How could they not when Daddy told me I was the best girl in his life? As long as I was Daddy's little princess, my life would turn out like a fairy tale.


	3. Chapter Two: The Game

Chapter Three

The game

Beau Andreas had always been one of my friends. We had hung out since junior high. When I had fallen when I was ten, he was the only one who had noticed and had bandaged me up nicely. Daddy liked him, Mother adored his parents and told me how he came from a nice upbringing. I couldn't care less about an upbringing. At fifteen, I suddenly noticed how blue his eyes were, how golden his hair. There was something about his gaze that reminded me of Daddy. Mother was becoming envious of me, but I didn't care, she had never been as important to me as Daddy was. Claudine and Antoinette became envious of the time Beau spent with me. Everyone had noticed how long his legs were, how broad his shoulders, how round his ass was. It was no secret that Beau Andreas was one hottie at our school.

He became star of the basketball team and I tried out for the cheerleading squad. He grinned at me all dressed up in our school colors. "Hey, cheerleader."

"Hey yourself."

"Are your parents coming to pick you up?"

"No, my driver," I said biting on my lip nervously.

"Dad, just got me my own car. Wanna ride?"

"Sure," I said with a flirtatious smile. "Let me just call the house and let them know. If you want you could stay awhile."

"I'd like that. Watch those pom poms."

I turned to flash a grin at Claudine. "Was that just Beau Andreas?" she asked.

"It's not like it's a suprise, Claud...Besides, he's going to be in love with me?"

"Not this again."

"Everyone knows he's already halfway there."

"Don't forget to tell me everything and I do mean everything."

We stopped jabbing when we realized it was halftime. It was time for the show. I couldn't help but feel Beau's eyes on me the whole time. After the game was over, he grabbed my hand showing me his candyapple red mustang. "Isn't she a beauty?"

"Does she run?" I asked with a teasing grin.

"Does she run? Of course she runs. Let's take her for a spin, I know just the place to show you what she can do." We raced all over town going almost one hundred miles and hour and I couldn't help but giggle it was such a carefree day. The music was blaring, there was the wind iin my hair, everything was perfect, so I didn't resist when he turned the music off.

"Gisselle," I heard a throaty voice whisper.

"Hmmm," I asked still daydreaming.

"I've got a picnic for us."

"How did you manage that."

"Some guys on the team."

"Oh," I said feeling a blush creep into my face. What was wrong with me? I had been used to servants and the such since I was born, why did I feel all warm and fuzzy. Mother had warned me how such feelings led to doom. Would he hurt me one day? Would he turn from me one day and love someone else, I pondered as he stroked my hand. Before I knew what was happened I felt lips on my throat, and stiffled a moan. "Beau,"

"You taste so good."

"Beau, I really have to get back. It's not that I don't like you, don't want you. I do, darling."

He pulled back and looked into my eyes. "then what's the problem?"

"I'm not sure. I guess I just need more time. You can give me that, can't you? Everything was happening so fast."

"Of course," he said bending to kiss me again. I felt his tongue touch mine and the world blurred for an instant. I pulled back, fighting for control of my emotions.

"Where did you learn to kiss like that?"

"Come on Gissy, let's get back to the Manor. I wouldn't want your Mother to call Father and tell him I kept you out too late."

"Thanks, Beau."

He grunted and I smiled as we soon pulled in.

"Madamoiselle Dumas, your mother's waiting for you. It's your uncle's birthday and everyone's been waiting to take you to see him."

"Don't scold me," I snapped hating to feel undermined.


	4. Chapter Three: Uncle Jean

Chapter Three

Uncle Jean

"Come on Gisselle, where were you?" Daddy asked softly. "You know we visit your Uncle Jean on his birthday every year."

"I'm sorry, Daddy," I said, looking down at the floor.

"Look at me," Mother said sternly. I had to admit even angry, she was a beautiful lady. She looked like an ice queen, frozen in her early thirties, untouched, and cold. I shivered in her presence. Please, God, don't let me turn out like that one day.

"I'm sorry, Mother, Daddy. You know I had to go to the basketball game. I AM a cheerleader. Most mother's will kill for their daughters to be on the squad."

"That mother didn't kill anyone she hired a hitman," Mother snapped back at me. I had to smother a grin. Really, a hitman.

"Daphne, darling let's just go."

"But it's not like he even knows I'm there. Uncle Jean is handsome, but he never speaks." Daddy turned his head away in shame, I wasn't sure if he was ashamed of me or himself but I didn't ask as I got in the limo and looked out the door, wishing I was back with Beau in his car. Life was so unfair. All I wanted was to have fun, I was young this was suppose to be the best years of my life and what was I doing? Visiting a deranged uncle in a nursing home that was what. Didn't we have people to take care of them, that's what we paid good money for, wasn't it? Daddy's hard earned money at that. I frowned looking at Daddy's saddened face. He always became melancholy when Uncle Jean was mentioned. Even Uncle Jean's room was kept as a shrine, when there were better things to do with it. Then again, as long as it stayed as it was, I could hide away my booze, I thought with a smile. Daddy kept it because he got himself drunk thinking of Uncle Jean. Sometimes, I wished he would just die. I knew I would rather be dead than locked up in my own mind, living when people really didn't want me too. I would hate to be the cause of someone's misery rather than pain. A shudder ran through my body, was that what would happen to me? I wondered. I pushed the thought away, that was just silly. Beau was falling in love with me, and I would make sure he would never want me to leave. Besides, if Uncle Jean died then maybe Daddy would stop feeling so guilty and be happy again, like he used to. I missed the Daddy that would sing me to sleep and tell me stories about a Swamp princess, even if the Swamp sounded discussing the girl sounded beautiful and her lover sounded charmed, it was the way I always imaged Beau and I would be one day.

"We're here to see Jean Dumas," Daddy stated sadly. "I'm his brother."

"Just a moment." The nurse checked his chart. "He's having a good day, Monsieur Dumas."

"Thank you," Daddy said flashing a quick smile.

I watched Uncle Jean, he was a real fastidious man. He wore better clothes than anyone in this quack house. His hair was trimmed and it shone, his face was shaved. Evidently, being lost in one's mind didn't take away their grooming habits, I thought as I hugged him tightly, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Hello, Uncle Jean."

He nodded at me fastening his eyes to Daphne as he always did. He was Daddy's brother, not Mother's, why did he look at her instead of Daddy. This was so boring, I thought taking a seat as Daddy spoke to him.

"Hello, Jean. Is this place treating you okay?" Jean shook his head yes.

"You look good," Mother said and I tuned them out dreaming of the Swamp princess and her lover. She had had ruby red hair like mine, Daddy had said. She had been beautiful like an angel, or a goddess. Yes, I could have been a goddess. Not a man looked at her that didn't fall in love with her, but she was unaware of her own beauty and power. Maybe I had the same power and didn't realize it. I giggled but Mother looked at me sharply.

"Peirre, it's time to go. YOUR daughter doesn't know how to behave herself properly in public, and it's no wonder considering..."

"You've done a wonderful job raising her," Daddy cut in.

It wasn't long before we were back at the mansion and I was grounded again. I didn't even know what I had really done, but Daddy never stood up to Mother. I would just have to find some way to sneak out and see Beau, I had too.


End file.
